Hello - it has been a looooooooooong time since I posted here and sadly it's because I am at my wits end with one of my cats, Salem. He is an approx. 5 year old neutered male. I adopted him about 3 years old and he was an owner surrender. I am beginning to think I know why.
Salem has always had a problem using the litterbox consistently. When I had it in the upstairs bathroom he would use the bathtub to poop. When I moved the litterboxes downstair in the basement he was fine for awhile but then started peeing and pooping outside of them. I had up to 4 boxes at a time and he would still poop next to them. I have tried every conceivable type of litterbox and litter and he will use them all.
He is 20+ lbs and I thought that perhaps even the largest litterbox wasn't big enough. I went and bought one of those new dog litterboxes for sizes up to 35 lbs. It's big! Salem still is eliminating outside of it. He just recently has begun eliminating on the dog beds upstairs, one in my bedroom and the other in the living room.
He shares his home with 2 other cats that he gets along with very well, never a fight between them (also neutered males). There are also 2 dogs (Corgis) that he gets along with.
He recently has been to the vet for a checkup, bloodwork and xrays - all normal. As of today I have placed him in the spare bedroom with a litterbox, food and water to keep an eye on him. I don't know what else to do. I'm worried that since I have pulled up all the soft beds off the floor he will next use either my bed or the couch.
He has shown a strong desire to be outside ever since I got him (he may have been an indoor/outdoor cat with his previous owner), but I have never allowed it since there are a lot of cats where I live. If I had a secured backyard I would allow him to be an indoor/outdoor cat.
Please, I need advice as to what else I can do. I don't want him to have to spend the rest of his life in a single room away from the other cats, that's not fair to him. I have been trying for about 3 years and I just don't know what else to do.
Thank you and take care,
Lisa
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
slave to her furkids...
Indy & Tucker (the Corgis)
Taz, Salem & Ike (the Cats)
Stretch (the Ferret)
Salem has always had a problem using the litterbox consistently. When I had it in the upstairs bathroom he would use the bathtub to poop. When I moved the litterboxes downstair in the basement he was fine for awhile but then started peeing and pooping outside of them. I had up to 4 boxes at a time and he would still poop next to them. I have tried every conceivable type of litterbox and litter and he will use them all.
He is 20+ lbs and I thought that perhaps even the largest litterbox wasn't big enough. I went and bought one of those new dog litterboxes for sizes up to 35 lbs. It's big! Salem still is eliminating outside of it. He just recently has begun eliminating on the dog beds upstairs, one in my bedroom and the other in the living room.
He shares his home with 2 other cats that he gets along with very well, never a fight between them (also neutered males). There are also 2 dogs (Corgis) that he gets along with.
He recently has been to the vet for a checkup, bloodwork and xrays - all normal. As of today I have placed him in the spare bedroom with a litterbox, food and water to keep an eye on him. I don't know what else to do. I'm worried that since I have pulled up all the soft beds off the floor he will next use either my bed or the couch.
He has shown a strong desire to be outside ever since I got him (he may have been an indoor/outdoor cat with his previous owner), but I have never allowed it since there are a lot of cats where I live. If I had a secured backyard I would allow him to be an indoor/outdoor cat.
Please, I need advice as to what else I can do. I don't want him to have to spend the rest of his life in a single room away from the other cats, that's not fair to him. I have been trying for about 3 years and I just don't know what else to do.
Thank you and take care,
Lisa
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
slave to her furkids...
Indy & Tucker (the Corgis)
Taz, Salem & Ike (the Cats)
Stretch (the Ferret)